Airplane



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 314mm I wiflilab liql iww slii Feb. 10, 1942. J. HOJNOWSKI AIRPLANE Filed Aug. '24, 1939 Feb. 10, 1942; J. HOJNOWSKI I AIRPLANE Filed Aug. 24, 19:59 s Sheets-Sheet s 4/2506 Jig hen/ski plane,

vices for gear;

4-4 of Figure 3;

Patentecl Feb. 10, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT 1 OFFIC AIRPLANE Jakob Hojnowskl, Nekoosa, Wis. Application August 24, 1939, Serial No. 291,767

3 Claims. (01. 244402) t This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in airplanes.

An object of the invention is to provide an airplane with a retractible landing gear embodying a shaft construction extending transversely of the fuselage with ground wheels mounted upon opposite projecting ends of the shaft with manually operable means wit the fuselage for rotating the shaft for the projection and retraction of the wheels of the landing gear relative to the fuselage.

A further object of the invention is to provide the landing gear when in its extended position is abuttingly engaged with a side wing of the airmodifications of the landing gear mounting providing for either forward or rearward swinging movements of the landing gear,into operative and retracted positions.

With the above and other objects in view that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away and-shown in section of an structed in accordance with the present invention, the landing gear being illustrated by full lines in its operative position and further shown by dotted lines in its retracted position, which is assumedby a forward, upward and rearward swinging movement;

I Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary end ele vational view, partly broken away, and shown in section, to illustrate manually operated gear de= projecting and retracting the landing Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view, showingthe worm-gear train for operating the landing gear;

Figure 4 is a detail s ctional view'taken on line Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the empennage or rear end of the fuselage showing a loading platform, side walls therefor and entrance doors to the rear end of the fuselage;- Figure 6 is a side elevational view of another form'of airplane with a retractible landing gear abuttingly engaged with a side wing and retractible to an inoperative position by rearward and upward swinging movement;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary front elevational on line 9- 9 of Figure 8.

' retractible landing gear for airplanes wherein I airplane conv view, partly broken away and shown in section;

of, each of said means a worm wheel 23 to the tubular shaft l1 adjaform of operating device for the retractible landing gear; and

Figure 9 is a longitudinal sectional view taken Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawings, and particularly to Figures 1 to 5, the reference character I0 designates the fuselage 'of an airplane with lateral wings II. The fuselage III has a rear end wall| 2 with an opening therein that is closed by hinged doors t3, the fuselage rearwardly of the rear wall carrying a loading platform It in the the fuselage and side walls [5, the rear ends 01' the side wallsbeing provided with an elevator and rudder construction diagrammatically illustrated by the reference character IS.

The airplane is equipped with a retractible landing gear adjacent its forward end which includes a tubular shaft I! of the fuselage as shown more clearly in Figures 2 and 3, the opposite ends of said tubular shaft l1 projecting laterally of the side walls of the fuselage l0 and having secured therein stub shafts l8 that carry right angularly-directed ex tensions I9 forked as at 20 for the support of ground wheels 2|. The extensions It! as shown in Figure 1, carry leg portions |9a bent rearwardly to occupy positions in proximity of the at the forward meeting edge thereof carries a forked guide into which the leg portion l9a of the extension 59 is received for limiting rearward swinging movement of the landing gear with the wing and forked guide acting as a bracing support for the. landing gear. The landing gear is illustrated in its inoperative or retracted positions by dotted lines in Figure 1 and to assume such retracted position, t he shaft I 1 is rotated to swing the shaft extension l9, leg portions I91: and ground wheels 2!, forwardly, upwardly and then rearwardly with the ground wheels,2l overlying the side wings I The operating means for the shaft H for shifting the landing gear comprises dual means within the fuselage l0 adjacent ch side wall therecgnrprising the fixing of cent a side wall of the fuselage. A bracket structure 24 is secured to the inner face of the side wall of the fuselage l0 above the shaft 11, one portion of the bracket structure rota'tably supplane of the bottom wall of joumalled transversely porting a worm shaft 25 engageable with the worm wheel 23, one end of the shaft 26 carrying the worm shaft 25 having a bevel gear 21 fixed thereto that is in meshing engagement with a bevel gear 28 fixed to a shaft 29 journalled in the bracket structure worm shaft 25 as shown in Figure 3. The shaft 29 supporting the bevel gear 28 has a ratchet wheel 30 fixed to one projecting end thereof and said ratchet wheel has a manually operated pawl 3| associated therewith, the shaft 29 being provided with a crank handle 32 outwardly of the ratchet wheel 30. When the pawls 3| are manually released from engagement with the ratchet wheels 30, two operators may work the crank handles 32 for the operation of the gear train to rotate the shaft l1 and thereby swing the landing gear from one position to another, the pawls 3| being then returned to position for engagement with the ratchet wheel for holding the landing gear in its shifted position. When the landing gear is projected into its operative position as shown by full lines in Figure l, the leg portions [9a engage the forked bracket 22 carried by the wings II to be centered thereby and for bracingly supporting the landing gear. When the landing gear is retracted to its inoperative position as shown by dotted lines in Figure l, the same swings forwardly and then upwardly and rearwardly with the ground wheels 2| positioned above the wings II.

In the form of invention shown in Figures 6 to 9, the airplane is of the hydroplane type embodying a fuselage Ilia, side wings Ila, positioned substantially in the plane of the upper surface of the fuselage Ilia with pontoons 33 supported beneath the side wings Ila by means of supporting rods 34. Relatively smaller side wings 35 project laterally of the fuselageioa substantially in the plane of the lower side of the fuselage and slightly forwardly of the main wings Ha.

The landing gear includes a tubular shaft Ila journalled transversely of the fuselage Illa with opposite ends of ,the shaft Ila projecting outwardly of the fuselage and having anchored therein the stub shafts 180 that carry forwardly directed arms 36 that carry ground wheels 31 at their free ends. As shown in Figure 6, the arms 36 areengaged with bifurcated lugs 38 carried by the rear lower edges of the wings 35 which limit forward swinging movement of the landing gear into its operative position. Operating means for the shaft Fla is arranged in duplicate and each operating means includes a lever 39 having a forked end 40 that has a keyed engagement with a key collar 4| secured to the tubular shaft Ila. The other end of the lever 39 carries a tensioned pin 42 extending through for reception into a socket in a keeper block 43, the tensioned pin 42 being retracted by means of the handle 44 carried thereby. A pair of socketed blocks 43 are arranged in spaced relation for holding the positions as illustrated by dotted lines and full lines in Figure 6, with the landing gear either in its projected operative position or in its retracted inoperative position.

Inboth forms of the invention, the landing gear is retractable to inoperative position for positioning the ground wheels at points between the upper and lower surfaces of the fuselage and that when the landing gear is in its projected operative position, parts thereof are abuttingly transversely there-.

24 at right angles to the engaged with wings of the airplane for the stabilization of the landing gears.

While there are herein shown and described the preferred embodiments of the inventiomit is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In airplane construction of the character described, a fuselage having side wings and a retractible landing gear having parts thereof movable into abutting engagement with the undersides of the side wings in proximity of the fuselage when in extended operative position,

the landing gear including a tubular shaft journaled transversely of the fuselage and projectin from opposite sides thereof, a stub shaft secured in each projected end of the tubular shaft, an angularly extending leg portion at the outer end of each stub shaft carrying the support of a ground wheel, the engagement of the landing gear with the side wings being between the angularly extending-leg portions and the undersides of the wings adjacent an edge thereof with the wings constituting bracing elements for the landing gear when in operative position.

2. In airplane construction of the character described, a fuselage having side wings and a retractible landing gear having parts thereof movable into abutting engagement with the undersides of the side wings in proximity of the fuselage when in extended operative position, the

' landing gear including a tubular shaft journaled lever 39 in either of two transversely of the fuselage and projecting from opposite sides thereof, a stub shaft secured in each projected end of the tubular shaft, an angularly extending leg portion at the outer end of each stub shaft carrying a terminal fork for the support of a ground wheel, the engagement of the landing gear with the side wings being between the angularly extending leg portions and the undersides of the wings adjacent an edge thereof with the wings constituting bracing elements for the landing gear when in operative position, said shaft being located forwardly of the wings and the engagement'of the landing gear with the wings being at the leading edges of the wings, and

opposite sides thereof, a stub shaft secured in each projected end of the tubular shaft, an angularly extending leg portion at the outer end of each stub shaft carrying a. terminal fork for the support of a ground wheel, the engagement of the landing gear with the side wings being between the angularly extending leg portions and the undersides of the wings adjacent an edge thereof with the wings constituting bracing elements for the landing gear when in operative position, said shaft being located rearwardly of the wings and the engagement of the landing gear with the wings being at the trailing edges of the wings, and said leg portions being swingable forwardly and upwardly into engagement therewith.

JAKOB HOJNOWSKI.

a terminal fork for 

